Waking in Anaskar Prison, covered in blood and accused of murder, nobody will listen to Notch’s claims of innocence until he meets the future Protector of the Monarchy, Sofia Falco.

But Sofia has her own burdens. The first female Protector in a hundred years, her House is under threat from enemies within, the prince has made it clear he does not want her services and worst of all, she cannot communicate with her father’s sentient mask of bone, the centuries-old Argeon. Without the bone mask she cannot help anyone — not herself, and certainly not a mercenary with no powerful House to protect him.

Meanwhile, far across the western desert, Ain, a young Pathfinder, is thrust into the role of Seeker. Before winter storms close the way, he must leave his home on a quest to locate the Sea Shrine and take revenge on the people who drove his ancestors from Anaskar, the city ruled by the prince Sofia and Notch are sworn to protect, whether he wants their help or not.

Guys, this book is fantastic.

My favourites are the Pathfinders, and I really need to know more about their culture and magic and … well, everything really. Notch is also a lot of fun, I really like how he approaches things. Sofia is my least favourite, I find her to be quite whiny and self-centred, but she still has time to grow.

The bone masks themselves are also quite fascinating, and I’m looking forward to learning more about them as the series progresses. The few snippets dropped are incredibly interesting.

Ashley Capes has a very engaging writing style, and even though I was reading it in small chunks while commuting, it never took long to sink back into the story each time I reopened it. The worldbuilding was equally seamless, which is not always an easy thing to do, especially considering two very different cultures are equally represented.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something a bit new and fresh in their fantasy, it’s well worth the time.